The officers, to be hired within the next two weeks, will boost the department's numbers to 78 officers and administrative employees, said John M.R. Bull, spokesman for the Virginia Marine Resources Commission.

That's below the 86 it employed in 2007, when the state began slashing the commission's budget. Funding dropped nearly $4 million, or 17 percent, the past four years.

To stem the decline, the commission left open 18 — nearly a quarter — of its law enforcement jobs. Also, it transferred to the department $1.1 million from its saltwater recreational fishing development fund. Historically, the commission has used the fund to build public fishing piers and boat ramps.

Anticipating another budget cut earlier this year, the commission agreed to transfer another $1.1 million from the fishing development fund to law enforcement. It also tucked away more than a half million dollars it saved from the vacancies.

The cut didn't materialize, leaving the commission with money to hire the officers, whose salary and benefits typically cost the state $54,000 each. The commission could direct the money to the fishing development fund, but ultimately it decided to beef up its police force.

"We believe it's more important, at this point, to hire the officers to enforce the regulations," Bull said, noting that revenue from fishing licenses feed at least a million dollars annually into the fishing development fund.

The officers, to be picked from a pool of 540 applicants, will be stationed throughout the department's four Chesapeake Bay offices.

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